Apparatus and method for cleaning flowable material filling devices

Abstract

Apparatus for cleaning a flowable material filling device composed of a hopper for holding the material, a plurality of spaced-apart assemblies, each of which includes a cylinder into which material flows from the hopper and a piston movable in the cylinder to force material from the cylinder into containers, and a piston support structure for causing the pistons to move in the cylinders. The apparatus includes a lifting mechanism coupled to the piston support structure and responsive to a first signal for moving the piston support structure in a first direction to thereby move the pistons out of the cylinders, and responsive to a second signal for moving the piston support structure in a second direction to thereby move the pistons back into the cylinders. Valve controlled liquid spray nozzles are positioned to spray liquid into the cylinders and against the pistons when they are removed from the cylinders in response to a third signal. A control unit automatically supplies the first, second and third signals to control the lifting mechanism and the valves.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for cleaning a flowable material filling device which comprises a hopper for holding the material, a plurality of spaced apart filling assemblies, each of which includes a cylinder into which material flows from the hopper and a piston movable in the cylinder to force material from the cylinder into containers, and piston support means for causing the pistons to move in the cylinders, said apparatus comprising lifting means coupled to the piston support means and responsive to a first signal for moving the piston support means in a first direction to thereby move the pistons out of the cylinders, and responsive to a second signal for moving the piston support means in a second direction to thereby move the pistons into the cylinders,   liquid spray means disposed to spray liquid against pistons which are moved out of the cylinders and into the cylinders, in response to a third signal, and   control means for automatically supplying the first and second signals to the lifting means and the third signal to the liquid spray means.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said cylinders are oriented to be generally vertical, and said lifting means is adapted to move the piston support means upwardly to lift the pistons out of the cylinders, and downwardly to insert the pistons into the cylinders. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said cylinders are formed with interior walls which slope outwardly at the tops thereof to facilitate insertion of the pistons into the cylinders. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein each filling assembly of the flowable material filling device further includes a valve located at the bottom of the corresponding cylinder to interconnect the cylinder with the hopper, and a downwardly directed spout mounted on the bottom of the valve, said valve being operable in one position to allow material to flow from the hopper into the cylinder, and in another position to allow material to flow, upon downward movement of the corresponding piston, from the cylinder through the spout into a container, and wherein said liquid spray means comprises first nozzle means disposed to spray liquid against the pistons and into the cylinders,   second nozzle means disposed to spray liquid against the valves, and   third nozzle means disposed to spray liquid against the spouts.   
     
     
       5. Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said flowable material filling device is a rotary filler in which the filling assemblies are mounted about the side exterior of the hopper, and the hopper and assemblies are adapted to rotate in response to a fourth signal, wherein the first, second and third nozzle means are disposed in fixed positions so that the cylinders, valves and spouts rotate past the first, second and third nozzle means as the hopper and filling assemblies are rotated, and wherein said control means automatically supplies the fourth signal to the rotary filler. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said liquid spray means further comprises a fourth nozzle means suspended within the hopper and responsive to a fifth signal for spraying liquid against side walls and bottom wall of the hopper, and wherein said control means automatically supplies the fifth signal to the fourth nozzle means. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said flowable material filling device is a rotary filler in which the filling assemblies are mounted about the side exterior of a generally cylindrical hopper, and the hopper and assemblies are adapted to rotate, said filling assemblies each further including an elongate piston rod, the lower end of which is joined to a corresponding piston to support the piston, and   a piston guide sleeve mounted on the side exterior of the hopper to slidably receive the piston rod, said piston guide sleeve being of a length about one-fourth or greater the distance over which the piston may be moved.   
     
     
       8. Apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said lifting means comprises first and second lift mechanisms disposed on opposite sides of the hopper, each lifting mechanism including   a base,   a pair of spaced-apart, generally vertically oriented support posts extending upwardly from the base,   a pair of collars, each slidably fitted over a respective post,   a pair of braces, each joining a respective collar to the piston support means,   a pair of threaded sleeves, each attached to a respective collar and each oriented with its opening in a generally vertical alignment,   a pair of threaded worm screws, each of which is screwed into a respective sleeve and rotatably mounted in fixed relation to a respective post, and each of which includes a wheel gear at one end thereof so that when the wheel gears are rotated, the worm screws will rotate to thereby cause the sleeves and thus the collars to move upwardly or downwardly on the posts,   a third threaded worm screw rotatably mounted to contact and cause the wheel gears to rotate as the third worm screw is rotated, and   drive means responsive to said first signal for rotating the third worm screw in a first direction to cause the raising of the piston support means, and responsive to said second signal for rotating the third worm screw in a second direction to cause the lowering of the piston support means.   
     
     
       9. A process for cleaning a rotary flowable material filling device which has a hopper for holding the material, a plurality of spaced-apart filling assemblies mounted about the side exterior of the hopper, and a drive mechanism responsive to a signal for causing the hopper and filling assemblies to rotate, wherein each filling assembly includes a cylinder into which material flows from the hopper and a piston movable in the cylinder to force material from the cylinder into containers, said process including the steps of automatically operating a lifting mechanism coupled to the pistons to raise the pistons out of their respective cylinders,   activating a spraying mechanism to spray cleaning liquid against the pistons, into the cylinders, and into the hopper,   automatically operating a drive motor to cause the hopper and filling assemblies to rotate past the spraying mechanism,   deactivating the spraying mechanism to terminate spraying of the pistons, cylinders and hopper,   automatically terminating the operation of the drive motor, and   automatically operating the lifting mechanism to lower the pistons back into their respective cylinders.